[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING MICHAEL VARNER AS THE ESCAMBIA COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. 
Michael Varner upon receiving the Escambia County, Florida Teacher of 
the Year Award. For thirty-five years, Mr. Varner has been an 
inspiration to his students, his colleagues, and his community, and I 
am honored to recognize his achievements.
  After receiving his Bachelor of Science Education Degree and from the 
University of West Florida, Mr. Varner began his teaching career at 
J.M. Tate High School in 1975. For thirty-five years, Mr. Varner has 
been at the vanguard of teaching at Tate. He taught anatomy and 
physiology for eleven years, botany for ten years, and biology for 
thirty-five years. He has also worked as a Dual-Enrolled instructor 
with Pensacola Junior College for fourteen years. Since 2004, he has 
served as an adjunct professor at PJC. Mr. Varner is a member and a 
leader of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) and the 
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
  Mr. Varner has been widely recognized and honored for his years of 
teaching the students at Tate High School. He received the Tate Teacher 
of the Year Award in 1976, 1990, and 2010 and has been nominated twice 
for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics 
Program. From 1998 to 2004, he was a top ten finalist for the NABT 
Outstanding Biology Teacher in Florida, and in 2005, Mr. Varner earned 
the NABT Florida Outstanding Biology Teacher Award.
  Beyond the awards and the achievements, Mr. Varner is a top-notch 
teacher and a dedicated public servant. He goes above and beyond the 
call of duty to serve his students, utilizing real-world techniques to 
teach them concepts beyond the classroom. His students sign contracts, 
receive job orders, and earn paychecks for work completed. When the 
Tate administration was faced with canceling a dual-enrollment biology 
class because of low enrollment, Mr. Varner volunteered to sacrifice 
one of his planning periods to teach the class in spite of the cutback. 
His innovative methods of teaching have been adapted and utilized by 
dozens of other faculty members.
  Mr. Varner's tremendous efforts extend well outside of his biology 
classroom. He served as the Senior Executive Board Advisor for nine 
years, teaching students to lead others and inspiring them to achieve 
success. He has also served as a scoutmaster, youth and music minister, 
and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life. Mr. Varner 
is also known as the voice of Tate's band, the Showband of the South, 
and is commonly viewed as the custodian of the cultural history of Tate 
High School.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am 
privileged to recognize Michael Varner as the Escambia Teacher of the 
Year. He is a dedicated teacher, an inspiration to his students, and an 
honorable public servant. Vicki and I wish Mr. Varner, his wife 
Kathleen, and his sons, Jason and Brian, all the best for the future.

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